Not Foolproof
by It'sFun2BCrazy
Summary: She had a lot of names. Brandi, Erica, Amy, Drew. She had an alias for every country, every gang. But she starts to loose track of who she really is underneath all the names. Then she meets Alex Rider, who changes things, for better or for worse.  CrAzY
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! Look, yes, this is one of those Alex-American-CIA-Girl-Agent stories, but this one is actually good! Please believe me! Just keep reading, you'll get it soon. Well, if any of you know me, then you know I usually have a lengthy, strange, authors note, followed by a story of the same likeness. WEll, I'm sorry, fans, but I'm gonna write this story more seriously. I know! Terrible, right? Well, too bad! Just read the story. I own nothing! This is an alternate ending to Crocodile Tears. Spoilers? Not really. you do need to read Crocodile Tears to understand it though.  
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><p>Alex Rider has a complicated life. But, we all know that don't we? What is his current complication? He was kidnapped, taken to Africa, and will be tortured tomorrow by unknown means to find out what MI6 knew. Just another day in paradise.<p>

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><p>Alex was getting tired of the gun on his back. It pushed him along, prodded him, smacked him. And he listened to it. Truthfully, he had no choice.<p>

"Where are we going, McCain?" Alex said. "I'm beginning to think my torture is going in circles all day in the sun."

McCain smiled unfriendly. "No, Alex, what lies in store for you is much worse than going in circles." McCain giggled to himself, as if that was funny somehow.

"Then could we get it over with? We've been going in circles, and I don't think we will be going in to orbit by doing so, if that's what your doing." This earned Alex another smack with the gun from the guard.

"I had some unexpected, ah, . . . business, come up, and it needed to be dealt with right away." McCain said, looking straight forward, "And so I'm afraid you will have to wait." McCain smiled again, as if that was the best thing that ever happened to Alex.

Just then another guard come up, he was running, which looked rather silly with his bulky body. Despite the current situation, Alex was tempted to laugh.

He barked something in another language to McCain, making Alex wish he had payed more attention in language class.

McCain's sick smile thickened with each word the guard said.

"Come with me Alex, I have something I want you to see." McCain started walking in the direction the guard had come from.

"Anything to break the boredom," Alex said, starting to follow McCain.

Another smack.

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><p>Alex wasn't the only one getting tired of guns. Across the safari camp, there was another, a girl.<p>

She was sick of the gun too. It poked and prodded her, smacked her when she made smart remarks. Did she listen to it? No. No she did not.

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><p>Brandi know the guards didn't understand her, she just didn't care. That's why she kept talking.<p>

"That gun really complements you eyes, you know." She said to the guard. "Brings out the gold flecks. I like it. Maybe if you held it up to you eyes, And maybe shot it off, . . . Yeah! You could pass for an underwear model any day!"

The guard just stared at her. He recognized her tone, not her words. And her tone was happy. Why was she happy? She had a gun to her back being led to her death. Maybe he could help with the not-being-happy-thing. He smacked her in the back of the head.

"Ow!" She said. "Whatd'ya do that for? Gosh, I hate this hotel! 5 star service my a-"

"Ahem." McCain said behind her.

"Thank goodness! I was getting tired of Alejandro here. Can we get on to the being-tortured thing? I've been looking forward to it!" She said, rattling off at 100 miles per hour, as usual. She didn't just do it to un-nerve the guards, she did it because she was nervous.

"You should be, Brandi." McCain said with that tone that drove her nuts. "Oh, you really should be."

That's when she noticed the boy.

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><p>Why did McCain have a girl with him? A girl his age none the less! She talked excitedly with an American accent. She reminded him slightly of Jack.<p>

At first, he thought she was talking about his torture, then he saw that there was a gun pointed at her too. And he recognized the tone McCain used with him when he was threatening him. Yes, this girl was a captive too.

McCain turned back to him. "This, Alex, is Brandi. She is going to be tortured too-"

The girl, Brandi, broke in, "That's right! Torturedtorturedtourtured!" She sang the last part. The guard hit her again.

"Ow!" she said rubbing her head. "Now, Alejandro, we talked about this, . . . "

Alex was not entirely sure the girl was sane.

"Are you sure she's sane?" Alex said aloud.

"No, not really." McCain said. "But neither am I, really."

Alex agreed with that.

"But as I was saying, Brandi here is going to be tortured to death, you are going to watch her. Then the same thing will happen to you."

"Alright," Brandie said. rubbing her hands together like she was about to go into a fight. "Lets do this thing."

"Lets." McCain said.

McCain led them both to the edge of a pond. There was a tree next to it with a pole sticking out of it, on the end of the pole were two handles. there was a rickety step ladder going up to the handles. Alex knew what was going to happen before McCain said it.

"Here's how this works." McCain started, seeming to enjoy this too much. "You go up the step ladder, you hang on to the handles, you tell us what we want to know, or, . . . "

He pulled a piece of meat out of his pocket, it strangely resembled bacon. He tossed it to the water under the pole. Everything was silent for a moment.

Then a huge crocodile leaped out of the water and grabbed it. Suddenly they were all there. Tons of crocodiles, moving the water, fighting over the food.

Alex was shocked. They were going to feed him to the crocodiles! The girl looked confused.

"So, if we don't tell you what you want you'll give bacon to crocodiles?" She said. "That doesn't even make since, I mean, what if the crocodiles don't want bacon?"

"YOU!" McCain yelled. "We're going to feed YOU to the crocodiles!" It was the first time Alex had seen him angry since he had got here. He began to thing that maybe the girl WASN'T crazy.

"Ohhhhh!" She said. "I get it now!"

McCain sighed.

"Go ahead," He mumbled, and two guards pushed her forward. She went.

"Wow," She said, walking up the ladder. "this ladder REALLY sucks. I mean, the boards creek, the paints peeling, don't you guys have any money to replace this thing?"

"Just go!" McCain yelled at her. "Wow, I'm going to enjoy your death! Your so annoying!"

He smiled, back to his old self, when she grabbed onto the handles.

"All right, Jones." He said. Alex guessed that was her last name. "What does the CIA know?" So she worked for the CIA? When did they start recruiting kids?

"Know about what?" She said. "'Cause, you know they know a lot of things, do you want what caused last years oil spill, thier favorite color for uniforms-"

"I want to know what they know about me." McCain said though gritted teeth. Alex was impressed, he had not been able to make him mad this whole time and the girl had done it twice already.

"What? Oh, you? Nothing." She said.

"You were caught snooping though my office with gadgets given to you by the CIA."

Brandi smiled sweetly. "You know how I work, McCain. I don't always get to telling them stuff."

"Well then why are the CIA currently analyzing samples of genetically engineered plants?"

Brandi thought about this. Then the turned to Alex and looked him straight in the eye.

"I tell you what, Desmond McCain. If you do what the CIA says, then they can tell you who you parents are."

McCain's eyes went wide for a split second. then they narrowed.

"How dare you insult me! Your bluffing! The CIA knows nothing of me! You said yourself!"

Brandi leaned forward best she could.

"Yes they do. They investigate everyone with lots of money. They found out some things about you. Some things YOU might be interested in knowing."

McCain roared in rage.

"GUARDS!" He yelled. Both shifted the sights of their guns to Brandi.

The girl looked him in the eyes she? Yes. It couldn't be an accident.

He made his move.

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><p>Brandi had played a dangerous game when she told McCain the CIA knew who his parents were. It was a plan, but not a foolproof one. He could have shot her on the spot, or he could have done nothing. Luckily, he did exactly what she wanted him to do.<p>

She watched as the boy, Alex, lashed his foot out, catching one guard in the back of the neck. it must have been a pressure point or something, because he passed out cold. He had more trouble with the other guard. He kicked out again, hitting the other guard in the stomach. But this guard was ready. He reached down, grabbing his foot. The boy chopped the guards hand, and he let go, howling in pain, giving Alex the opportunity to knock him out too.

McCain just stood there, shocked and reached for the guards gun, but Alex already had both.

And so McCain took the only option. He ran.

Brandi hoped Alex would get over here soon. Her arms were aching already.

Alex came over to the edge. He reached out as far as he could.

"Grab on!" He said. Those two words told her he was British.

She did, gladly. He pulled and she jumped at the same time.

They landed in a heap on the bank of the river. She got up immediately.

"We need to go. He'll be here with guards soon."

"Wait!" Alex said.

"Wait nothing!" Brandi said."We've got to-"

"Who are you?" Alex cut her off.

"Oh, yeah," Brandi said, already walking.

"I'm Brandi Jones. CIA."She said. "You?"

"Alex Rider. MI6" he said.

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><p><strong>So? You like? You tell? You review? You favorite?<strong>

**~CrAzY**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Me again. Not many reviews last time. Or even viewers for that matter. Come on people, I'm trying my best here. If you don't like it then tell me so I can make it better. Thanks so much to Deviant1 UK and Ja-Kol for reviewing. And Ja-Kol, you really should read the books, their awesome. To the what, 30 people who visited but didn't review, I have choice words for you that would make you NEVER review. So I think It's best I don't say them. Oh, dear. It seems my old habit of making a lengthy, pointless authors note has caught up to me. And I said this story was going to be serious! **

**&#$#! Or, as you will understand it better, CRAP! Well, anyway, I don't own anything. Read the story, would'ya? And review for goodness sake! It's not that hard, you just- oh, never mind, if you want to hear that lecture check out my PJO story, What Happens When Camp Half Blood Goes Crazy.**

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><p><em>"I'm Brandi Jones. CIA." She said. "You?"<em>

_"Alex Rider. MI6" he said._

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><p>His first thought after that was, Huh?And, for once, Alex Rider said exactly what he thought.<p>

_ "_Huh?" The girl, Brandi looked at him as if he was stupid.

"I'll explain later." She said, speaking slowly, like he was a child.

"And so will you. But right now, If you don't want to die, you will follow me, and be quick about it."

Alex didn't need to be told twice. He could already hear the motors coming up in the distance.

And so they ran.

Brandi took the lead, making it perfectly obvious that Alex was following her, and not the other way around.

"Where are we going?" He asked her, not wanting to be led into a trap.

"You know what, " She said. "If you shut up and follow me you might find out."

Alex wasn't good at taking orders, and he wasn't sure if he could trust this girl or not, but what choice did he have? It was this or take his own chances.

They came up to a rock, a big one, actually more of a bolder, kind of a strange place for one, out in the middle of nowhere, but it was believable, sort of. The weirdest part? Brandi was headed right towards it.

"What are you doing?" He called, but she ignored him.

It looked like she was going to run headfirst into the bolder! Was that her plan? Was she going to commit suicide and leave Alex to McCain?

No, she had stopped. And was kneeling down, to, . . . what, pray to the rock?

Alex caught up to her.

"What are you doing? We've got to get out of here!" He hissed at her.

"Shut up!" She hissed back. "It's around here somewhere, . . . " Alex noticed she was felling around the base of the rock, pushing her hands through the grass and leaves, searching for something.

Alex began to do the same. Right away, he found a sort of, ridge, going around the edge of a clump of grass.

"Is this what your looking for?" He asked. She peeked her head around the rock and came closer.

"That's why I couldn't find it! You were sitting on it!" She said.

"I was not-" He protested.

Then she lifted up the ground. Literally, a path or the grass and dirt came up as she pulled it up smoothly. A trap door, Alex realized.

She pushed it all the way open and climbed inside, when Alex didn't follow, she stuck her head out.

"Are you coming, or do you want to stay out there and die?" She asked him.

Alex was reluctant to go into a dark cave with the girl, but she had a point, the engines were getting closer and closer.

So Alex made his decision, and jumped in.

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><p>Brandi almost laughed when the kid landed on his butt in the chamber.<p>

"Most people choose to climb down, " She said as he pushed himself up. "But if you want to fall in, then that's okay."

She closed the trap door, making it pitch dark.

"I did not fall-" He grumbled.

"Shut up!" She hissed at the boy. "This thing is designed to keep you out of sight, it's not soundproof."

Luckily the boy shut up just as the guards came up.

The voices above them talked in another language for a minute. For a second, Brandi was worried they were planning their attack on them. Then she smiled to herself. There was no way they could have know there was a hideout here. It was impossible.

The engines roared away.

"Got a torch handy or anything?" Alex asked her after sitting in silence a few moments in the dark.

"No, why would I have a stick lit on fire handy?" She said, then noticeing Alex's confused silence, remembered that Brits called flashlights torch's.

She laughed. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said, feeling along the wall for the light switch she knew was there.

"found it!" She exclaimed.

"Found what?" Alex asked, before the room lit up with, what else? Light.

They squinted a second before their eyes adjusted again.

She watched as the boy looked around the room for the first time. It wasn't much. A sack of food in the corner, along with a few water bottles. A couch was in the oppisite side of the room. It was an ugly shade of green, slghtly worn-out. There was a bare light bulb illuminateing it all.

"Not bad." Alex said, and began to make his way to the couch.

"No!" Brandi yelled. "Don't sit there!"

He stopped. "Okay, why?" He said, oddly accepting the fact she had just ordered him to not sit down.

She blushed, walking over to the couch. "Because that's where I keep the guns." She said, lifting up the cushins, revealing two automatic pistols.

"You get guns?" Alex said. Sounding jelous.

"Well, yeah."

"Did the CIA give them to you?"

"No, Childrens Serices did." She said. "Yes, of course they did. Their both in my name, but the CIA legaly owns them. Most agents have their own guns to, but its easier for the CIA to track missing agents through their own guns. They have tracking devices in them, so if they stay in the same place for a long time, or they start moving far away, they can radio me and make sure everythings fine."

Alex looked jelous. "If they stayed in the same place the whole time you were kidnapped, and you didn't answer the radio, then, . . . "

Her eyes went wide. "Oh, crap! I forgot!"

She lept over to the corner, where, was a strangly normal, cell phone.

She picked up the phone and punched in a number.

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><p>"Do you even get reception down here?" Alex asked her.<p>

"Shut up!" Brandi barked her usual answer.

"No, not you!" She yelled into the phone.

"I just, oh, never mind. This is Jones. Put me through to Davis."

A pause.

"Yes, that Davis! Now put me throught to him before I kill you through the phone!"

Another pause.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, mostly anyway."

Pause.

Alex was definatly jelous. this girl had guns, and people watcing out for her. And they asked her if she was okay! MI6 Wouldn't have cared about anything but what information he got.

"Just let the backup come. We need a ride out of here anyway."

Pause,

"Um, . .Yes, we." She said. "Theres this boy here, He says he works for MI6 or something.

Pause.

"Yeah! Thats his name! Do you know him or something?"

pause.

"Oh, Okay. Oh, yeah! Were out hideout 6982, you know, AKA the big bolder you put in the middle of nowhere?"

Pause.

Not only was this girl apparently on good terms with the CIA, but the guy she was talking to seemed like an old friend!

"Alright. we're not going anywhere. Bye."

She hung up.

"So, . . . " He said. "That was?

"my CIA guy, David Davis." She said.

"Is that his real name?" Alex asked, genuinely surprised.

Brandi laughed.

"No, but I think it should be. So, MI6, Huh? That's like, British intelligence or something, right?"

Alex studied her suspiciously. "Yes." He asid cautiously "Don't you find that weird, that were just kids, and we're, . . ." Alex strugles to find the right word. Finnaly he settled for one he hated. "Spies?"

"I guess it's a little weird. But I'm not gonna pry into your life, so you don't pry into mine." She snapped at Alex. He wondered what made her get all snippity all of a sudden.

"I'm surprised you haven't driven me nuts with questions allready. I'll anwser some if you'd like." She said. She had taken the guns out of the couch and was now sitting down on it rather comfortably.

Alex couldn't resist an open invitation to ask questions.

"How'd you get here?" he asked quickly.

"Plane." She answered simply. "Naw Dip. Next question."

"No, I mean, did McCain drug you or what?"

For a second, Brandi looked confused for a second. Then she laughed.

"Oh! You thought- No, Alex, McCain didn't bring me here. I did. this is a mission for me." She said it all so simply, as if that was compleatly normal.

"Then why did McCain have you?" He asked, still confused.

"I was sopposed to be checking out his camp, and was, really, but there were more guards than there were sopposed to be and I got caught snooping around his office.

"Oh, I see." Alex said. "Good work back there, by the way."

If Alex didn't know better, He'd of thought the girl blushed.

"Yeah, Thanks. I didn't actually mean for you to attack them, I just ment for you to run away, but apparrently your not the running away type. Thanks for saving me."

Alex was a little shocked. Why would this girl he did't know had saved him over herself.

"Why?" He asked.

"Huh?" She said.

"Why would you save me?" He said.

"well, I didn't think it looked so good for me, so I thought I could save you, so you could get the information back to MI6, CIA, or, whoever."

This really did shock Alex. She had been thinking of the information. Not him. She was just another one of them.

"Oh, so I guess you didn't care whether I lived or not, just that the information did." He said. It was the kind of remark that he would make to Mr. Blunt Or Ms. Jones.

"Oh, Alex, you know I didn't mean it that way!"

Alex was thinking now would be a great time to storm off, but he couldn't really do that in a 5 by 5 underground safehouse could he?

"I just wanted to save the people that would be eating the bread! I know you've been told this before, and probably don't belive it, but I thought the we were just two lives, and they were thousands."

Everything was silent for a minute.

"So, You reallly valued those peoples lives over your own?" Alex asked finally.

"Yes. Alex. Yes." Brandi said. "that's why I became a spy. Look, It's jealousy that makes us want to live, even if it means everybody else would die. It's just human nature, but If we can over come it, then," She paused.

"Then I guess thats what they mean when they say, "Give your life for a greater cause."

Alex thought about this. "You'd make a great motivational speaker someday, you know?" He said.

"Wait, " Alex said, realizing something.

"You said that was why you became a spy, did you become a spy, like, willingly?" He asked.

Brandi looked at him. Confused once again.

"Yeah, " She said slowly. "Is there any other way?"

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><p><strong>Dun, . .Dun, . . .Dun. . . . . I hope I get more readers! And I must of, because if your reading this than you eiter read it, or skipped to the bottom.<strong>

**~CrAzY**


	3. Chapter 3

**Alright, next chapter. I'm trying to be a serious author and not make stupid authors notes, but It's just not in my nature. I'll try, for you, my dear readers! I own nothing! Thank you so much for the advice! I would love more. I know I'm not perfect, but with your help, I can get pretty darn close!**

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><p><em>"Yeah, " She said slowly. "Is there any other way?"<em>

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><p>"No." Alex said. "No, I guess not."<p>

"So, how are we getting out of here?" He said, quickly changing the subject.

"They're sopposed to pick us up in the morning."She said briskly.

"In the morning?" Alex was dissapointed. He'd been looking forward to going home as soon as possible.

"Yeah," Brandi said. She sounded disapointed too. "He said he could send a plane from the nearest government station, but It would be on the assumption McCain wasn't watching the station. It's sort of risky anyhow, What with it taking all day to get here. If McCain realized we had a safehouse, he could kill us when we got out to go to the plane, chopper, or whatever he sends."

Alex was still worried they were going to be found. His mind was racing through all the possibilities that could lead to them being recaptured.

Possibility #1-Brandi's phone. It could be tracked to here. McCain might find it odd that a cell phone was lying inside a bolder if he were to investigate.

Possibility #2-The guards. They might have come over the ridge in time to see the trap door close, and when they stopped to talk were disscusing when to storm in on them. If that was the case, leaving was thier only option. Alex didn't see any other escapes other than the one they came in.

Possibility #3-The guns. Brandi said they had tracking devices. If the CIA could see the signals, there was a good chance that McCain could too.

Possibility #4-Brandi herself. He still didn't trust the girl. He had seen nothing to prove she was compleatly trustworthy. Sure, she rescued him, but for all he knew, she could be saving him for Scorpia. The helicopter that arrived tomarrow could lead him out of here, or to his death.

In the end, Alex decided there were too many X Factors. He was splitting first chance he got.

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><p>Brandi was worrried about the helicopter. Tomorrow morning. That was too long! She needed to get out of here NOW. She may work for the CIA, but she had her own agenda. She had other things too do. Things that required her NOT BEING HERE. She didn't show her frustration though. Not to Alex, not to Davis. In effect, she lied. She was very good at lying.<p>

"So do we just sit here all night?" Alex said. He seemed bored. Like, "Sitting in an underground safe house with a CIA agent waiting for a government helicopter to take us away from an evil rich guy." same old, same old.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to sleep." She said, streching out on the couch, making it perfectly clear there was no room for him. She had compleatly dropped her "Annoying Girl" act. She loved it, it was effective, but it very nearly killed her as much as it saved her.

She closed her eyes. mostly, anyway, she kept them open just enough to see Alex, and she could have sworn she saw him smile.

He turned to the food bag on the side of the wall and pulled it open, opening a can of Something-another, and he proceded to eat it.

The can lid was sharp, Brandi noticed. That could be used as a weapon. she didn't trust the boy either, but she was exahsted, and even though sleep was a perfect chance to get killed, she had to have it.

She pulled the gun closer.

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><p>Alex decided now was the best chance he got. The girl was asleep, so he could take the food, water, and escape without her noticeing.<p>

He felt kinda bad about takeing the food and water, so in the end, he decided to leave some. He decided on two cans of spagetii, (Which he didn't like anyway) And two bottles of water. The rest, he bundles in a sack, and took with him.

Before he left he checked to make surre she was asleep. Her eyes were closed, her chest riseing and falling rethimically. She was holding the gun like a child holds a teddy bear.

The gun.

The other one was lying on the floor, next to the couch, within Brandi's reach if she were to wake up. His fingers lingered over it for a minute, then he pulled them away. No matter how helpful the gun would be, it was one of the X Factors he was running away from. If he took it with him, the CIA could track him, and probably so could McCain. If he took it, he was endangering Brandi too. The helicopter might follow the signal, leaving Brandi where she was.

He was sure she would be fine. She would wake up to the sound of helicopter blades, discover he was gone, and get on the chopper. Thhey would look for him, he was sure. But with any luck he would have beat them out.

He stepped out into the cool night air. The desert was beutiful at night, if nothing else. It was like something from a movie. He was tempted to stop and admire it for a little while, but he had to move.

And in the direction he was moving, he was sure of. He started off to the east, the direction he had come in.

He had been told the next camp was 10 miles away. He couldn't walk that far, and wasan't planning too. No, what Alex was planning was much, much simpler, in his mind anyway.

He was going to steal one of the guards 4-wheel drive vehicles.

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><p>Brandi did not wake to the sound of helicopter blades, like Alex thoght. In fact, she did no wake to anything, because she was never asleep. She watched Alex gather up her food, watched him decide to leave some for her, watched his fingures lingure over the gun. she thought about stopping him. He could help her.<p>

But in the end, she watched him leave.

The trap door closed with a thud. On that thud, Brandi stood up, like a zombie awakening at the stroke of midnight.

And she too left, gathering the remaining food, grabbing her guns, and leaving, in a fashion very similar to Alex. But no one watched her. And instead of going East, Brandi headed north.

* * *

><p>The man in the helicopter was told he was picking up an agent and another. They hadn't specified, and he hadn't asked questions. It was his job not to. They gave him the quardinates, and a map of the area. He was a skilled pilot, he didn't need anything else.<p>

But when he arrived at the quardinates, all he saw was a big rock. He checked under it, in the safe house, as he had been told.

All he saw was a wore out couch and a cell phone. No agent, no other.

They had left the light on.

The man headed back outside, confused. He got in his still running chopper, and radioed back to HQ.

"They're not here." He said, once they put him through to the man who was paying him.

"Are you sure? The man asked. His employer had given no name.

"Yeah," He replied lazily. "Checked under the rock and everything. Just like you told me."

His employed siged and mumbled something on the other end.

"Huh?"

"Nothing." His employer said briskly. "Just get back to camp."

And so the man went back to camp.

When he landed, his employer came up to meet him. He was a big black man who wore lots of suits. His face, something was wrong with it. He reccognized him vaugely but couldn't name him. Started with a D or something? He was rich, and that was all that mattered to the man.

"Do I still get paid?" Was the first thing he asked.

His empliyer smiled. "I would, but I don't go around giving money to dead men." He said.

The man didn't even have time to say, "Huh?" Before a bullet shot though his skull, killing him instantly.

* * *

><p>Brandi looked at the gun in her hand and smiled. There was no tracking device in it. The CIA didn't own it either. But telling Alex made him leave it. She was worried for a second he would take it, then was reassured he wouldn't when he left. It was almost too easy to trick the boy. Was it possible he was playing along? Somehow tricking her into beliveing he had been tricked?<p>

No, that was impossible! There was no way he could have know she was lying. With any luck, he wouldn't ever know.

She smiled.

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><p><strong>So, why do you think Brandi left her cell phone? And where is she going? Will Alex's "mission" to steal a vehicle sucsessful? <strong>

**~CrAzY**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, again. I took a little longer updating than usual, but It's not like I have enough reviewers to flame me anyway. Enjoy the chapter! And yes, to enjoy it, you have to read it. **

**Concerns have been expressed about the Mary-Sueness of Brandi, but a lot is reaveled about her in this chap, and I'll let you decide for yourself whether I fixed her or not.**

**Own nothing!**

**~CrAzY**

* * *

><p>Brandi hoped her friend had lived up to his part of the deal. Because if he didn't, she was dead.<p>

A very good reason to hope he had done what she asked. Because if Brandi walked the mile away to find and empty plot of sand, she would be a mile from water, and several miles from civilization.

Without water.

In the dessert.

In the middle of nowhere.

Needless to say, Brandi was getting worried. She was on good terms with her friend, he had no reason to kill her. Unless Z told him too. In which case, she was dead. Her friend was terrified of Z. Terrified for his family, mostly. Brandi wasn't scared of Z at all. Z threatened peoples families to get them to do things. People they loved. So, Brandi had nothing to loose. She loved no one.

All Brandi could think about though, was what would happen if her friend stood her up. She knew the way to him, not back. She hadn't needed to know it. Luckily, she still didn't. As she came over the hill, she saw a 4-wheeler. Not unlike the ones McCains men rode on. For a moment she was worried it was McCains men, and they had discovered her plan somehow.

But she was reassured when she spotted a small figure slumped down in the seat, his skin so black it almost blended in with the night sky.

He held up a hand, with the thumb folded against his palm.

She was safe.

Brandi jogged the rest of the way, relieved of her fears she was going to die out here, alone.

"Mel." She whispered to him as she slid into the passengers seat.

"Amy." He whispered back in greeting.

Brandi nodded, remembering that was the alias she had given him.

"Lets go." She said, and the motor started up, seeming very loud in the eerily quiet dessert.

"You know I'm taking a big risk for you." Mel said.

That was Mel, always talking cautiously, turning down her reckless ideas, but usually doing them anyway.

"Yeah, but I can get Z of your tail for you, and you'd better be grateful and drive." She added the last part as an afterthought. Remembering Amy's character was snippy.

Mel just laughed. "You better. He wants to take Sun, and you know I can't let that happen."

Sun was Mels younger sister. Mel was hardly a fit guardian, was only sixteen, and they lived on the street, relying on charity to feed them. She wondered how he had got a hold of the 4-wheeler. But she didn't ask, and he offered no wasn't their fault, their parents were killed, and they had no relatives close. and no one was stupid enough to take two orphaned kids in. Not in this town.

"Yes, " Brandi mused. "Yes, I do know."

It wasn't a long drive to town, not moving as fast as they were. But it seemed very long. Not because Brandi was worried of what would happen when she got there, no she had done that a million times if once. She was bored, mainly. she would have to find a portable gaming system or something from Z as part of the deal.

They stopped a mile from town. Mel didn't want to be caught assisting a criminal, so him and "Amy" split up, both taking separate ways into town. Abandoning the 4-wheeler for some lucky passerby to find.

* * *

><p>Brandi had memorized the way to Z's place. She wasn't proud of it either. But she had to survive somehow. And if this was what it took, then she had to do it, proud or not.<p>

She was standing in the alley now, hand on the door that would lead her to another day of negotiation. She had considered storming in, pulling out both guns, and shooting Z and all his cronies, setting all the kids free. But in all the times Brandi had been here, she had never been able to bring herself to do it. Never been able to value the lives of the kids over hers.

She smiled to herself, remembering the speech she gave Alex. It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing, another add on to the "Brandi Jones" character. Some sappy emothional spy, it was an odd thing to pretend to be, but she thought she did it well.

She opened the door, knowing she wasn't going to lay a finger on her guns the whole time. And she was okay with that.

A greasy man met her at the door. He smiled.

"Welcome to The Hotel." He said. He was faking being nice, and it was oblivious. He was making no effort at all to desguise the sarcasum dripping off his voice.

"Cut it, freak_._" Brandi told him. "I'm here to see Z."

"Do you have an appointment?" He said.

"Always." Brandi said. "I'm Erica Sealing"

The mans eyes grew wide for a spit second, but he quickly tried to hide it with another sick smile.

"I see. Right this way." He said, and with that, he lead her away from the door, and into The Hotel.

* * *

><p>"Erica" tried to remember every turn, elevator, staircase, and lobby they went though on the way to see Z. Z'd never turned on her before, but she was better safe than sorry.<p>

It seemed to take forever to get to Z's office. She checked her landmarks repeatedly, making sure he wasn't leading her in circles, and it didn't seem he was.

Finally they reached a door and stood in front of it.

"Behave." The greasy man said, and walked off. Brandi wouldn't miss him.

She pushed open the door.

And there sat Z, fat as ever, in a colorful lazy chair on the far side of the room. Two guards are on either side of him. A child holding a bucket of some fruit stares terrified at them all.

"You never change do you." Brandi said to him. It wasn't a question.

"Ahh, Ms. Sealing." he said, sitting up a little. "What do you want now?"

"Right down to business, I see." Brandi said. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you Erica." He said. He had a deep voice, one that was used to giving orders.

"Leave us!" He roared to the child, who ran terrified out of the room. Brandi felt sorry for her, but there was nothing she could do.

"You stay." He said to the guards.

"Alright." Brandi said. Not waiting for an invitation to start.

"I want you to leave a couple of kids alone. Mel and Sun Chinam. you know 'em."

Z growled at her. "The girl is strong. I could use her."

"Well too bad." Brandi said. It's what I want an you agreed to do anything I wanted, therefore, . . ."

"Alright, alright." Z said, obliviously mad. "And the CIA? You know I'm not the only one with a part in this deal."

"Yes, of course."Brandi said. "If you asked them about Z, they would tell you it was the last letter in the alphabet."

"That's exactly what they need to say." Z said. "But you know, Ms. Sealing, I might get tired of keeping you quiet."

"Don't even think about it, Z. the CIA is expecting me back _tomarrow_. And if I'm not there, they're will be a full scale search in this area for anything suspicous. Do you really want the police snooping around this dump of yours?" Brandi said, a sneer in her voice.

"I'll take my chances." Z said. And the two guards behind him pulled out thier guns.

Brandi said some choice words.

The guards fired as one. Brandi ducked and rolled a second before the bullet sailed into the spot where her head should have been. As she rolled, she pulled out both her guns. She sat up from her roll, and pointed the guns at Z's head.

"Shoot me and he dies." She said.

Z growled at her. "Can't believe the CIA gave you guns."

"Who said the CIA gave them to me?" She asked. "I've got friends, Z. More than you'll ever have."

"That's probably true, but my friends have guns. Pointed at you. Shoot her!"

"Ah, ah, ah." Brandi said.

"I''ve got guns too. Pointed at you boss. You'll notice my fingers on the trigger, very tightly. You shoot me, he dies. Who'll pay you then?"

"Fine. Don't shoot her." Z growled.

"Now, If you dont mind, I'm gonna quitly slip out of the room, while you drop your weapons. " The guards DID put their guns down, and as soon as they did, Brandi made a run for it. she checked behind her shoulder a few times, but no one was chasing her. She ducked out the door, ignoring the strange looks she got from the disgusting guest Z kept.

* * *

><p>Brandi had gone to Mel's place first.<p>

A girl in a worn out, faded yellow dress, her skin the color of coffee, welcomed me at the door, which was a old quilt draped over a clothesline.

"Hi, Sun!" Brandi said. She was no character around Sun. She was too sweet to fool.

"Amy!" The girl yelled, hugging her.

"Is your brother here?" She asked.

"Yeah, let me go get him." She said, ducking back under the curtain.

A second later, Mel appeared at the "door".

He looked worried. "Whats wrong, Amy, did something go wrong with-"

"You could say that." She said, pushing herself in, invited or not.

"Z got tired, of, . . . . our deal. Needless to say, he will not be leaving you, or Sun alone."

Now it was Mels turn to say choice words.

"You can't stay here." Brandi finished.

"What choice do we have?" Mel asked.

"More than you know." Brandi said.

* * *

><p>That morning, the real CIA helicopter arrived, expecting to see Brandi and a boy her age.<p>

Instead, he saw a boy a little older than Brandi, and a girl of about 6. Both had skin the same black as the helicopter.

* * *

><p><strong>More revealed, more to find out!<strong>

**Challenge-What's Z up to? And why was Brandi fooling everyone with her alias's?**

**~CrAzY**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! Chapter 5, huh? This ones mainly about Alex, because the last chapter was mainly about Brandi. We know now that Brandi's not her real name, but we won't lean her real name until much much later. So, for now, she will be will notice I changed the summary, what'd ya think? Better; or worse? Nobody responded to my challenge, but, oh well. You'll find out soon enough. **

* * *

><p>Here we have a boy, sitting in the dessert at midnight, waiting to steal an ATV, wishing he had an ice cream. A situation not many of us have been in. Then again, not many of us have been Alex Rider.<p>

Alex was hiding at the edge of a clearing, waiting for the guard to get off the machine. he had thought about the station, the field that he needed to get rid of, and in the end, he realized that he couldn't do anything without help. it almost made him wish that he hadn't left Brandi back in the safe house. But not quite. She was realized he needed the governments help to take this one out. Not their help so much as their firepower. He wanted to take out the dam, flood it, but he couldn't do that with no gadgets or guns. He could steal something from McCain's men, but he decided it was too risky to steal anything he didn't need. Too many guards. Too little of him. So he waited.

Alex was started to wonder if the guard was glued to the seat. He was just sitting there looking around, doing nothing. Of course, Alex could just beat the guard up**. **But he was worried about the two huge machine guns strapped to the ATV. If the guard saw him before he reached him, He would be Swiss cheese. There was no cover to protect him from the spray of bullets that were sure to come his way.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the guard got up. He went into the shack next to him. As soon as the fabric over the door billowed shut, Alex bolted towards the ATV. Keeping his head low, in case another guard was watching him. It only took him a few seconds to get to the ATV, but it felt like he was relieving his wait again. He hopped onto the ATV, and started it up. But there was a problem, it wouldn't start.

Alex cursed under his breath and turned the key again. He scanned the buttons to see if there was anything he had missed. But no, he was doing everything right. He knew how to drive and start these machines, having drove a model similar to this not long ago, so he was confused as to why it wouldn't start. He turned the key again. he heard the sound of a motor starting up. For a second, a smile shot across his face. But it disappeared sooner than it ever got there. The motor that had started up wasn't his.

Soon after that another motor started, and another, and another. Alex wanted to get off and head for the cover of the bushes. But every time he decided on which direction to run, another motor started up over there. he stood still, doing his best to avoid the headlights closing in around him.

But no one, not even Alex Rider, can avoid ten sets of headlights at once.

As the light in Alex's face got brighter, he wished he had stayed with that odd girl in the house. It would have kept him from getting into this mess, anyway.

Alex had to fight all his instincts not to run. He glanced at briefly at the guns on either side of the ATV. They probably weren't loaded, and even if they were, he could only fire at the ATV in front of him, being the guns didn't move, and, at the moment, neither did his ATV.

Now, every gun, every headlight, was illuminating Alex's face. He squinted through the light, looking for an opening. But all he saw was a very grim situation. He was completely surrounded. Alex looked at the dozen or so ATV's surrounding him, looked at the guards, sitting expressionless on the seats, who would kill him at McCain's word.

Then Alex did a very un-Alex-like thing. He gave up.

He raised his hands in the air, feeling the defeat wash over him, despairing and unfamiliar. He felt really, really, stupid for falling into this trap. But there was nothing he could do now. Just wait and hope he came out on top, as he had always managed to do before.

As soon as he raised his hands up, the lights dimmed, making him able to open his eyes.

"Well, well, well, . . ." A familiar voice said from the shadows.

"If it isn't the great Alex Rider." McCain said, sounding oddly like a story-book villain as he strolled leisurely out of the shadows.

"If you're expecting me to scream, 'Get away from me, you fiend!' in falsetto, think again." Alex said.

"Always the smart alac, aren't you Alex? I'm beginning to think you're name should have been Alec Rider instead." McCain laughed at his own joke.

"I wonder why you make those little comments." McCain said, now he was circling the ATV slowly.

"If you're trying to intimidate me with the walking around in circles slowly thing, I would stop. You'll just make yourself dizzy." Alex said.

"There's another one." Desmond McCain mused as he continued pacing around A lex.

"But really, why?" He said. "Is it because you like to push your luck? Or because you know you won't be killed, because you have information?"

Alex opened his mouth to say something, but never got to. McCain's hand whipped across his face with all the force of the ex-boxer McCain was. Alex rolled with it, in the process getting knocked of the ATV.

Through his mumbled thoughts, Alex had time to think that McCain had stayed in shape all these years. Black spots taunted Alex in front of his eyes. Alex told himself to get up, face McCain with dignity. But his body wouldn't let him.

"_That_ game is over Alex. You don't have information I need, not anymore. I know what MI6 know about me. I always did. I will let you live as long as it amuses me. There will be no smart comments while you're here. No funny moves, no attempts to escape."Desmond McCain let it hand in the air for a second before starting again.

"I never really needed you. You weren't the main part of my plan. You were bait. Bait, for Alias. Known to you as Brandi Jones."

Alex's thoughts cleared enough to register shock.

Then he felt a sharp prick in his side, and all Alex Rider registered was blackness.

* * *

><p>When Alex woke up, his hands were tied. He groaned, wishing the feeling of ropes against his wrist wasn't so familiar.<p>

The pain in his face had slowed to dull ache. He turned over trying to take in his surroundings.

He was lying on the rattiest quilt in the world, in a hut, like he had been before. There was a big post in the middle of the room. Alex pushed himself up with his tied hands. He took a step forward and cursed. His ankle was chained to the post. Now how was he going to get out? First, his mind discussed the possibility of when they took them to McCain, but, what if they didn't take him o McCain? What if McCain came to him? Alex scolded himself for being pessimistic. They would take him to McCain. They would.

Alex sat down against the pole, leaning against it. Waiting for someone to come in, waiting.

If McCain doesn't kill me, the boredom will. Alex thought. He fell asleep staring at the door, waiting for it to open.

* * *

><p><strong>2:03 pm. Royal and General Bank. (MI6 Headquarters) August 6 2010*<strong>

Ms. Jones was sitting at her desk, reviewing Desmond McCain's case file. Again. He seemed like the perfect man, but they had learned with Damian Cray that appearances can be deceiving.

She sighed. Wishing they knew more about Alex's whereabouts. She had never been for the boy being a spy, but she had to admit he as one of the most brilliant spy's she had seen in a long time. Distracted, tired, and worried bout Alex, Ms. Jones decided to call to see if anything new was in about Alex. She reached out to the phone on her wall, pressed a button, and listened to the ring on the other side of the phone.

"Alan Blunt." The annoyingly plain voice of Alan Blunt said on the other side of the phone.

"Hello Alan." Ms. Jones said.

"I am calling to ask about Alex. Has there been progression in the search?"

"Actually, " Alan Blunt started. Ms. Jones felt a glimmer of hope.

"There has been. The CIA had an agent that went missing the day Alex did, who was here in London at the time. They are, of course searching for her, but so far-"

"Alan, I want to sent a team in to McCain's African property." cut in.

Silence.

", I have told you before, we cannot go on the assumption that-"

"It is not an assumption anymore Alan! We need to sent someone in before its too late."

"Ms. Jones. It is a risk I cannot take. We cannot risk offending a man with as much power as McCain does. We have no evidence, no proof, so we cannot send a team in." Blunt had stiffened his voice, making it clear HE was the leader of MI6.

Ms. Jones sighed, knowing she had lost.

"What about Alex?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"Occupational hazard. Besides, he can take care of himself."

Ms. Jones hung up, disgusted with her boss.

She thought for a second, then picked the phone back up. She dialed a number and put the phone to her ear.

* * *

><p>The phone rang in Creative Ideas Animation.<p>

"Hello?"

* * *

><p><strong>*-I don't actually know what the real date was, but this is as good as any.<strong>

**Thanks for reading! Challenge-Whats the deal with Brandi? Or, whatever her name is? And whats her real name?**

**~CrAzY  
><strong>


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